Grain-car.



PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

M. BROSNAN.

GRAIN CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT l.

N0 MODEL.

No. 766,371. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. M. BROSNAN GRAIN CAR. APPLIOATIOH FILED www. 1903IY t '2' y BBHBETSV-BEBT 2.

" 'l www l m i' 27eme?? Z207'.

N0. r766,871. l l Patented August 9. 1904.

UNiTEe STATES PATENT OEEICE.

MICHAEL BROSNAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG'NOR OF ONE-IIALF TO LEON GARROW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRAINCAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part or" Letters Patent No. 766,871, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed July 27,1903. Serial No. 167,173. (No model.)

To @ZZ wlw-m, it may concern: parts oi the ear as I deeiii new when taken 50.

Be it linown that I, h/Iicimei; BiiosNAN, a in connection with so much oi the car that is citizen oi' the United States, residing at Chiold as will properly disclose the invention to cago, in the county oi' Cool; and State oi' Illiothers and enable those skilled in the art to nois, have invented certain new and use'tulIinconstruct and practice the same, leaving out piovements in Grain-Cars,` oi' which the folof consideration old and well-known Jforms, 5 5 lowing is a speciiication. l which ii' described herein would only tend to My invention relates to that class oi" railconfusion, prolixity, and ambiguity. road-cars used in the transportation oiE gi'ain In constructing a car in accordance with IO or cei'eals and which are also adapted `ier use my invention I make a car-body A of the and are used for the transportation of general usual and well-known iform of construction oi" 60 merchandise andother freightwithoutchange grain and freight cars having' side sills A', in the general construction oi such cars exintermediate cross-sills A2, and end cross-sills cept as required for the diliei'ent uses. A3 for supporting the body of the car and the I5 The object of the invention is to construct bottoni thereof. At each end of the car is a such cars so as to provide for a rapid. and eco- Jfolding or hinged bottom section B and B', 65 nomical discharge of the load of grain or cereeach hinged at so as to be raised or lowalsand to have thecar oi' the iull capacity when ered, and when raised rest on supports (i, the discharging' means are placed thereon. formed ofpieces oi' angle-iron or other suit- The invention consists inthe features, comable material bolted to the sides of the car.

hinations, and details oi' construction herein- The sections B `B when down i'est on the in- 70V after described and claimed. termediate cross-sills A2 and constitute a poi'- In the drawings, Figure l is a central lontion of the cai'-bottom. At the center oi' the gitudinal section oi' a car constructed in accar-body and lengthwise thereof ai'e hinged 2 5 cordance with my improvements; Fig. 2, a at c two sections C and C', constituting when central transverse section oi' the parts shown; down the remaining` portion of the car-bot 75 Fig. 3, an end elevation showing a portion of tom over the dischai'ge-hopper. As shown in the body oi' a cai' and the discharging-hopper Fig. 1, the right-hand end of the cai' has the and operating mechanism for opening and hinged sections B and C down i'oi' forming closing the door or cover of the hopper mouth the bottoni ci' the car, and the left-hand end or discharge, and Fig. I a section on line I I of the cai' has the hinged sections B' and C 8O of Fig. 3 looking' down. raised so as to leave an opening I) leading In the art to which this invention relates it into the discharge-hopper, a similar opening is well known that the unloading of grainbeing formed when the sections B and C are ears, especially in longI trains, is verylaboi'iraised. The sections C can be held when ons and expensive, and various arrangements elevated by means of arod C, depeiidingi'rom 8 5 i and constructions of unloading' means have the top of the car and adapted for attachment been devised i'or the purpose of :facilitating to the sections, suoli rod being swung up out the unloading of such ears. oitl the way when the car is used for carrying 40 The principal object of my invention is to general freight.

construct a grain-cai' iii which the unloading Below the opening l) ei the car-bottoni 90 can be very quickly and economically accomwhen the sections are raised is located the plished and so that one or all oi' the cars ol: a hopper E, in which the grain or cereal lies,

train, as desired, may be unloaded automatand, as shown, in order to give the proper 4 5 ically and etiiciently at one and the saine time, pitch or incline for the ends ci" the hopper a all of which will be more fully hereinafter dellengitudii'ial end Z is provided, so as to fore- 95 scribed. shorten the length ci the hopper longitudi- In illustrating and describing my invention nally, and thereby give an increased pitch;

I have only illustrated and will describe such but this is not essential, as the pitch can be extended to the limit of the hinging of the sections B B, if so4 desired. The hopper E at the apex of the inclines of the sides and ends has a mouth or discharge e, and the inoline for the hopper sides is one sufficient to cause the grain or cereal to flow readily toward the mouth or discharge, and, if desired to facilitate the flow, the interior of the hopper can be lined with sheet-tin or other material.

The mouth or discharg'e is controlled by a cover or door F, pivotally supported or attached at one side, so as to swing laterallyon its pin or pivot f, and to facilitate the return of the cover or door a coiled spring f may be located around the pin or pivot, one end of such spring' being' secured to the cover or door and the other to the pivot.

The cover or door has an arm or extension F', with an openingfg, into which is entered the lower end of a lever H` pivoted at L to a supporting-piece G, which piece also carries the pin or pivot of the cover or door. The lever H swings on its pivot, so as to laterally swing the door or cover, and for the purpose of operating' the lever its upper end is pivoted in a fork or head c' of a piston-rod I, such rod passing' through a stuffing-box e" on a cylinder J and having a piston I traveling in the cylinder. rlhe cylinder receives air or Huid under pressure from a pipe K, extending' beneath the car, which pipe has communication with the cylinder through a valve y', a1'- ranged to be operated by hand or otherwise. The pressure of the air or fluid advances the piston, and such advanceY movement swings the lever H on its pivot to open the discharge or mouth of the hopper by withdrawing the cover or door therefrom, and with the release of pressure in any usual and well-known manner a spring J in the cylinder J returns the piston to its normal position, sending' the lever back and closing the cover or door. It will thus be seen that in order to open the door or cover of the hopper mouth or discharge all that is necessary is to open the valve j and admit fluid-pressure to the cylinder, advancing the piston and operating' the lever, and to close the hopper opening' or mouth all that is necessary is to shut olf the pressure by closing the valve, allowing' the cylinder-spring to act and return the lever to its normal position.

rlhe inclination of the hopper is sufficient ordinarily for the discharge of heavy g'rain or cereals; but in the event of a failure in this respect and for the purpose of discharging' light grain additional means are provided in the form of blowpipes L, one located at each end of the hopper a sufficient distance above the hopperincline for the passage of g'rain or cereals beneath them and on the side toward the discharge or mouth. Each of these pipes is provided with a series of holes Z for projecting' jets of air in the direction of the discharg'e for such air to carry with it and force thc light grain or cereal rapidly to the point of discharge. The air or pressure for each pipe L is admitted thereto and controlled therefor by a valve it', which can be operated by hand or otherwise, furnishing communication with the train-pipe K.

It is evident that where a flat end CZ is provided for the hopper the grain or cereal would be liable to be held thereon, and to avoid this and insure the discharge of the entire load a blowpipe M, controlled by a valve le', is provided for each end CZ, each blowpipe having a seri-es of holes m on the inner side which project jets of air inward, forcing the grain or cereal from the ends, so as to pass down the hopper to the mouth or discharge thereof.

rlhe end sections BB should be made to fit tightly against the end of the car-body when raised, and for this purpose the edge of each which abuts against the end of the car is formed so that when the section is raised a tight joint will be provided between the section and the end of the car. By this arrangement no grain can pass into the space below the section when raised and the entire load will be held in the body of the car between the end sections, so as to pass downward into the hopper when the discharge or mouth is open. The capacity of the car as to the load of grain will not be effected by having' the end spaces, because the hopper capacity more than offsets the space taken up at the end of the car when the sections B B of the floor are raised.

The sections of the floor are to be raised in the position shown on the left-hand side of Fig. l, so as to leave a free communication through the opening D between the body of the car and the hopper, and the grain or cereal is filled into the car in this condition. When the car is to be used for carrying freight or merchandise, all that is required to change the car from a grain-car into a freight-car is to drop the bottom sections into the position shown on the right-hand side of Fig. l, which forms a closed bottom for the body of the car for the reception of general merchandise and other freight.

A single car can be unloaded when filled with grain, or a number of such cars can be unloaded at the same time, and all that is necessary for this purpose is to connect the train-pipe K of the car, which may be the ordinary brake train-pipe, with an air-compressor or other pressure-supply means and then open the valve j, so that the pressure will operate the lever H through the piston and rod and open the cover or door forthe grain to pass down and out through the mouth or discharge of the hopper, and when the car is emptied the shutting off of the pressure permits the spring J to act and return the parts, closing the cover or door. When the car is filled and the cover or door F closed, it can be IOO rio

held and i locked in `its closed position by a bolt g passing through the door and a [iangc on the mouth or discharge c and then sec-ur ing the bolt in position by means oiI a suitable lock g', attached by a chain or otherwise to the hopper, and in order to limit the return movement of the cover or door and insure its proper position to close the mouth or discharge a stop e' can be provided on the mouth or discharge, against which the edge oil the cover or door strikes on the return inovement.

The hopper,located below the bottom ot' the car and constituting a portion of the body for receiving grain or cereals, furnishes a ready, quick, and economical means for discharging a load of grain in connection with the lateral swinging door or cover, and the fluid-cylinder and piston, with the operating-lever, furnish a means for operating the door or cover; but it is to be understood that the door or cover is capable otl being operated by hand or otherwise through its arm F, as by taking hold o't' such arm and pushing or pulling' thereon the cover or door can be swung on its pivot to open the discharge or mouth, and instead of a door or cover operating laterally a door or cover operating on the side of the discharge or mouth can be provided,so as to open one side oi' the mouth or discharge 'for the grain to pass out. It is to be understood also that inthe event the bottom or iioor sections B B and U C' are not sufiicient to fully fill the space or` opening l) when down instead of single central sections two sections can be provided, if required, to furnish the necessary bottom or iioor to fill the space, such intermediate sections being suitably hinged, so as to be raised and lowered.

I claimp l. Ina car of the class described, the combination of a loor or bottom composed of hinged sections at each end adapted to be raised and stand inclined at a sharp angle eX-` tending from the end wall oi' the car downward to the hopper, a plurality oi intermediate hinged sections adapted te be raised and stand vertically transversely of the body of the car, and swinging downward Jfrom such position in opposite directions from their pivotal points to horizontal position into engagement with the edges oi' the swinging end sections, respectively, and a hopper located'beneath the floor or bottom sections and extending the full length of the car from the hinging-point of the end sections and having coinmunication with the body of the car when the sections of the floor or bottom are raised and provided with a discharge or mouth controlled by a swinging cover or door, substantially as described. p

2. In a car of the class described, the combination of a car-body, a iioor or bottom composed ot' hinged sections adapted to be raised and lowered, an opening in the car-bottoni formed by raising the hinged sections, a hop per located beneath the iloor or bottom in line with the opening and provided with a mouth or discharge, a movable cover or door for the mouth or discharge, and a blowpipe at each end of the car tor forcing the material inward to be discharged at the'mouth or discharge, substantial-ly as described.

3. In a car or' the class described, the combination of a car-body, a iioor or bottom composed of hinged end sections, a plurality of transverse central sections pivotally mounted intermediate the swinging end sections movable into upright position and each movable downward from such position in opposite directions from their pivotal points into hori-` zontal position and into engagement with the edges of the swinging end sections, respectively, an opening in the car-bottom formed when all the hinged sections are aised, ahopper located beneath and in` line with such opening and provided with a mouth or discharge, a movable cover or door for the mouth or discharge and a lever engaged with the cover or door and operative to move the cover able cover or door for the mouth or discharge,

a lever engaged with the cover or door and operative to move the cover ordoor and open and close the mouth orchscharge, and a iiuidpressure cylinder having a piston and i'od with` the rod connected with the lever and operating to move the cover or door and open and close the mouth or discharge, substantially as described.

5. In a car o1 the class described, the combination of a carbody, a Vfioor or bottom composed of hinged end sections and hinged central sections adapted to be raised and lowered, an opening in the car-bottom formed when the hinged sections are raised, ahopper located beneath and in line with such opening' and provided with a mouth or discharge, a movable cover or door for the mouth or discharge, a lever engaged with the cover or door and operative to move the cover or door and open and close the mouth or discharge, a 'fluid-pres sure cylinder, a piston traversing the cylinder, a piston-rod connected with the lever and a spring in the cylinderi'or operating the lever to open and close the cover or door, substantially as described.

TOO

6. Ina car of the class described, the combii nation of a car-body, a i'loor or bottom composed oi' hinged end sections and hinged central sections adapted to be raised and lowered,

an opening' inthe car-bottom formed when the hinged sections are raised, ahop per located beneath and in line with such opening and provided with a mouth or discharge, a movable cover or door for the mouth or discharge, a lever engaged with the cover or door and operative to move the cover or door and open and close the mouth or discharge, a fluid-pressure cylinder, a piston traversing thel cylinder, a piston-rod connected with the lever, a spring in the c vlinder for operating the lever to open and close the cover or door, and a luid-pressure pipe connected with the cylinder for operating the piston and moving the lever to open and close the cover or door, substantially as described.

7. In a car of the class described, the combination of a car-body, a floor or bottom composed of hinged end sections and hinged central sections adapted to be raised and lowered, an opening in the car-bottom formed when the sections are raised, a hopper located beneath and in line with such opening and a blowpipe located at each end of the hopper above the incline thereof, for forcing the material down- Ward and out at the discharge of the hopper', substantially as described.

8. In a car of the class described, the combination of a car-body, a iioor or bottom composed of hinged end sections and hinged central sections adapted to be raised and lowered, an opening in the car-bottom formed when the sections are raised, a hopper located beneath and in line with such opening and a blowpipe located at the extreme upper portion of the hopper at each end for forcing the material inward at the ends to be discharged from the hopper, substantially as described.

9. In a car of the class described, the combination of a car-body, a floor or bottom composed of hinged end sections and hinged central sections adapted to be raised and lowered, an opening in the car-bottom formed when the sections are raised, a hopper located beneath and in line with such opening, a blowpipe located at each end of the hopper above the incline thereof, and a second blowpipe located at each end of the hopper above the rst blowpipe, both pipes to act and force the material downward-and out at the discharge of the hopper, substantially as described.

MICHAEL BROSNAN.

Witnesses:

HARRY IRWIN CROMER, ANNA L. SAvvE. 

